The operator of Sushiro, one of Japan¡¯s major conveyor-belt sushi chains, has dropped its charges against a customer who uploaded a prank video online after they reached an arbitration agreement on Monday at the Osaka District Court.
The video in question was uploaded on Jan. 29, and showed two customers ¡ª a 17-year-old boy from Gifu Prefecture and a friend ¡ª filming themselves licking a soy sauce bottle and tea cups, among other things, at one of Sushiro¡¯s restaurants in the city of Gifu. The 45-second clip went viral on social media, sparking concern over the chain¡¯s hygiene management.
¡°The customer has admitted his responsibility and we have reached a settlement with reasonable details that are acceptable to us,¡± said a spokesperson at the Food & Life companies, the holding company of Akindo Sushiro, the operator of the sushi chain. The spokesperson refrained from sharing further details about the case.
Akindo Sushiro, based in the city of Suita in Osaka prefecture, dropped its charges, which sought around £¤67 million ($470,000) in compensation over the damaging video. The customer had been referred to the prosecutor¡¯s office on suspicion of property damage on June 28. The case was then transferred to the family court on Tuesday by the Gifu District public prosecutors office.
According to the lawsuit, the customer visited a branch of Sushiro in Gifu Prefecture with a friend on Jan. 3. The friend then recorded the boy¡¯s actions, which also included touching the conveyor belt sushi with saliva-coated fingers. The video also showed the friend eating only one of the two pieces sushi on a conveyor belt plate without taking the plate.
Sushiro filed the lawsuit in March, stating that the boy¡¯s actions had caused ¡°significant discomfort and aversion,¡± leading to a decline in the number of customers. However, the boys¡¯ representatives said that the decline may have been the result of competition from rival restaurants, requesting the court dismiss the claims.
The sushi chain¡¯s competitors, such as Kura Sushi, were also affected by similar incidents earlier in the year, with a man in Nagoya indicted for obstruction of business for licking the top of a soy sauce bottle at one of its restaurants.
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